Reversible seat or chair



July 4, 1933. v c. "R. HULTGREN REVERSIBLE SEAT OR CHAIR Filed July 15, 1929 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 4, 1933. c. R. HUETGREN REVERSIBLE SEAT OR CHAIR Filed July 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 hall I:

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July 4, 1933- c. R. HULTGREN REVERSIBLE SEAT OR CHAIR Filed July 15, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE CHARLES R. HUL'IGREN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNQR TO S. KABPEN & BROS GHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF-WES'J. VIRGINIA REVERSIBLE sun-Ton 01mm Application filed July 15,

This invention relates particularly to a seat adapted for use in railway coaches, although the invention may be usefully employed elsewhere.

The primary object is to provide an improved seat which can be reversed in direction, and which, in the operationof reversing the seat, will be laterally shifted. A further object is to provide, in connection with a suitable locking device, a clamping device which will secure the seat-structure upon its base, such clamping device being released when thelocking device is released. An additional object is to provide for swinging the back with relation to the seat to give clearance with relation to the back of another seat, in the operation of turning the seat.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which I Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a car-seat constructed in accordance with the invention Fig. 2, is a broken detailed view illustrating the manner in which the back is pivotally connected with the arms of the seat; Fig. 3, an enlarged ,sectionalrview taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig 2; Fig. 4, an enlarged broken vertical longitudinal sectional view, showing the seat-structure locked and clamped upon the base; Fig. 5, a broken view of similar character, showing the lock and clamping device released; Fig. 6, a sectional view taken as indicated at line 6 of Fig. Fig. 7, a broken sectional view taken as indicated at line 7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8, a broken plan View showing the base and the mounting supported thereby which carries the chair-structure; Fig. 9 a broken sectional view taken as indicate at line .9 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 10, a sectional view on a reduced scale showing a modification.

In the preferred construction shown in the drawings, A designates abase which may be fixedly secured to a floor and which comprises standards A, connecting-bars A and a mounting-plate A carried by the bars A B, a seat-structure having a frame B equipped at its lower side with a mounting B O, locking mechanism carried bythe 1929. Serial No. 378,473.

base A; D, a. clamping-lever co-acting with the locking mechanism; and E, a back-ac;- tuating link connected with the device D.

The frame, or supporting-base, A may be of any suitable construction. In the illustration given, the mounting-plate A is contrally supported upon the cross-bar A being secured thereto by cap-screws 1. The plate A is shown provided centrally with a slot 2 which extends longitudinally with respect to the base.

The seatstructure B is provided with arms 3 and aback 4. The back 4 is joined by pivotal connections 5 to the rear upper cor: ner portions of. the arms 3. As shown, the back is equipped with plates .6 which are joined by pivots 7 to plates 8 connected with the arms.

The frame of the seat is equipped with blocks 9 which serve as stops. 'These blocks are provided with rubber facings 9' against which the lower margin of the back is pressed when the seat-structure is in the normal condition shown in Fig.1.

The mounting B with which the base portion of the seat proper is equipped corn,- prises, in the illustration given, arms 1.0 which have their outer ends secured to the seat-frame B; a shiftable upper plate 11 con nected by rivets 12 with. the inner ends of the arms and a shiftable lower plate 13.

Secured to the lower plate 13 is a short post 14; which extends upwardly through they slot 2 and through a perforation 15in the plate '11. The upper end of the post is furcated, thus providing a slot 1e? which, as shown in Fig. 6, receives the web-portion of a bearing-member 16 which is disposed adjacent the upper surface of the plate 11.

The clamping-lever D extends through the slot l4; and is connected with the post by means of a pivot 17 The short end of the lever D is indicated at 18. The other end of the .lever has extending therethrough a threaded stud 19 which is secured to the lever by nutsQO. Upon the upper end of the stud 19 is a lock-nut 21 having a reduced portion which afiords a pivotal bearing for the inner end of the link E.

The upper plate 11 of the mounting B is equipped with a depending cam-stud 22 which works in an arcuate cam-slot 23 with which the fixed mounting-plate A is provided. The construction and arrangement are such that when the super-structure is turned about the post 14 as a center, the super-structure will be shifted through the medium of the cam-stud 22 and the cam-slot 23, it being understood that the post 14 will reciprocate in the slot 2 of the fixed plate A A The locking device C comprises a rockmember 24 supported in bearings. 25 with which one of the frame-members A is equipped; a locking-pin 24 actuated by the rock-member 24 and a spring 24 which serves to throw the locking-pin to the locking position. The member 24 is shown as comprising alongitudinally extending portions 24 supported in the bearings 25, an arm 24 which actuates the .bolt 24, an arm 24 a depending portion 24, and a pedal-portion 24 .1 The pedal-portion 24 is shown as projecting slightly beyond the end of the baseframe A, but it should not projectbeyond the end of the super-structure.

The link E, as stated, has its-inner end pivotally connected with the lock-nut 21 on the stud 19. Itsouter end is connected by a pivot 26 to the lower portion of the frame of the back 4. Thestud 19 is disposed over the locking-bolt 24? when the seat is in the position'shown in Fig. 4. The locking-bolt extends through a slot 27 in the lower plate 13, through a perforation 28 in the fixed plate A and through a perforation 29 in theupper plate 11. Normally, the bolt 24 presses the outer endof the clamping-lever D upwardly, and thus lifts the post 14 and plate 13. In this mannerfthe fixed plate A is normally clamped between the upper and lower shift-able plates 11 and 13. The purpose is to prevent possible rocking or chat tering of the super-structure on the base A. In the illustration given, the shiftable plates 11 and 13are provided at adjacent sides with raised marginal portions 30 which bearagainst the intermediate fixed plate A As shown in Fig. 7, the plate13 has cut-awaypor tions, indicated at 31, adapted to slidingly l engage the adjacent edge-surfaces of the bars A The plate 13 may be raised slightly between the bars A and may shift in the direction of the length of the bars A The operation may be stated briefly:

'When it is desired to reverse the seatstructure, the operator depresses the treadle 24 and withdraws the bolt 24 from engagement with the upper shiftable mountingplate 11. 'VVhenthe bolt 24" is withdrawn, the clamping pressure is relaxed through the medium of the lever D; and when the seatstructure is forciblyturned about the pivot 14, the mounting-plate 11 is caused to revolve and also is given a movement of translation,

- due t-o'the action of the cam connections 22 and 23. The lower plate 13 partakes of the movement of translation, but does not revolve. The post 14 is fixed to the lower plate 13 and thus the post and the clamping-lever D do not revolve. As the seat-structure is turned to effect reversal, the link E turns about the pivot 21. This causes the lower portion of the back to swing outwardly and thus throws the upper end of the back forwardly. In this manner, clearance is given to enable the seat to turn, notwithstanding the fact that the back of an adjacent seat may be close to the back of the seat being revolved. Ordinarily, the backs of the seats recline somewhat; and in the action of revolving the seat, the upper end of the back is tilted forwardly sufficiently to give the necessary clearance. It will be understood, also, that inasmuch as the seat-structure shifts laterally on the base-structure, the seat-structure is withdrawn sufficiently from the side-wall of the car to give the necessary clearance.

As will be understood from Figs. 4 and 8, the upper plate 11 is provided with a plurality of locking perforations 29. Two of these perforations are diametrically opposed, and one or the other serves to receive the bolt 24 at the end of a rotation of 180.

It will be noted that the cam-stud 22 and cam-slot 23 permit a turning movement of the seat-structure through an angle of 180 only. Thus, the seat-structure may be swung in one direction to face it forwardly, and then may be swung in the reverse direction to face it reversely. I

If desired, the feature of swinging the back to give clearance may be omitted. In other words, the back may be rigidly mounted on the seat-frame. In such case, if desired, the seat-structure; may be turned'through an angle of90 so that the seat will face the window. Inthis case, the odd perforation 29 shown in Fig. 8will serve to receive the locking-plunger 24 I-nthe modification-shown in Fig. 10, the construction corresponds mainly with the construction previously described and the corresponding parts are given the same reference characters. In the modification, however, the locking device, designated 0, is shown as consisting of a bolt 32 equipped with a transverse stud 33 which is actuated by means of a cam-slot 34 provided in a longitudinally shiftable bar 35 which is suspended on hangers 36. The bar 35 is provided with slots 35 which engage pins with which the hangers 36 are equipped. A spring 37 normally holds the bar 35 in the locking position. A treadle 38 (shown broken) is connected by a link 39 to one end of the bar 35. By this means, the bar may be shifted against force of the spring 37 to effect release of the locking device. IVhen this occurs, the clamping-lever D is also released.

The foregoing detailed description has been gi en for clearness of understanding only,

and no unnecessar limitations should be undc stood therefrom but the anoended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible,

ture shiittably and pivotally mounted on said base-and equipped with-a seat and a back tiltably related to said seat; connections between said chair-structure and said base serving to effect shifting of the chair-structure in the operation of turning the chairstructure; and means tor actuating said back with relation to said seat in the operation of turning said chair-structure on said base.

2. A device as specified in claim 1 in which the means for actuating the back comprises a link connected with the back and eccentrically connected with the base.

3. In combination: a base; a chair-structure having a central post depending therefrom shift-ably connected with said base, said chair-structure being equipped with a pivotally mounted back; means for effecting shifting of the chair-structure on the base when the chair-structure is turned with re spect to the base; an arm extending from said post; and a link connecting said arm and the lower portion of said back.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3 in which the arm mentioned comprises a clamping-lever pivotally connected with the post.

5. In combination: a base; a chair-structure shittably and pivotally mounted on said base; means connecting said chair-structure and said base serving to cause shifting of the chair-structure with relation to the base when the chair-structure is turned on the base; clamping means normally clamping the chair-structure on the base; a. lever for actuating said clamping means; a locking device normally engaging said lever and locking the chainstructure against turning; and means for simultaneously effecting release of the clamping device and locking device.

6. In combination: a base equipped with a mounting plate; a chair-structure equipped with a pair of mounting plates embracing said first-mentioned plate; means for ellecting shifting of said second-mentioned plates in the operation of turning the chair-structure on the base; means 'eiiective to grip said second-mentioned plates against said mounting plate; and a locking device adapted to lock said plates and actuate the gripping means.

7. In combination: a base; a surmounting chair-structure; connections between said chair-structure and base for eflecting shifting of the chair-structure when it is turned with relation to the base; clamping means connecting said base and chair-structure; and

a spring-actuated locking device serving to actuate said clamping means.

8. In combination: a base equipped with a horizontally disposed mounting plate, hav ing a guide-slot therein; a chair-structure having its base-portion equipped with an upper clamping plate and a lower clamping plate embracing saidfirstanentioned plate; a post depending from said upper clamping plate through said slot and connected with said lower clamping plate; a clamping lever pivotally connected with the upper portion of said post; and a locking device equipped with a plunger adapted to work through perforations in said plates and co-act with said clamping lever.

9. A structure as specified in claim 8, in which the locking device comprises a springheld treadle adapted to actuate said bolt.

10. In combination: a base equipped with a horizontally disposed mounting-plate provided with a straight slot and with a curved cam-slot; upper and lower clamping plates embracing said first-mentioned plate and shiftable with relation thereto, the lower clamping-plate being non-rotatable; a post connecting said upper and lower clampingplates and slidable in said straight slot; a cam-stud depending from said upper clamping-plate and moving in said cam-slot; a clamping-lever connected with said post and adapted to cause said clampingpl'ates to grip the intervening plate; a. spring-actuated locking device having a bolt engaging said plates and normally holding the clamping lever in clamping position; and a chair-structure rigidly mounted on the upper clampingplate.

11. In combination: a base equipped with a horizontal mounting-plate provided with a straight slot; a pair of plates embracing said first-mentioned plate; a post connecting said pair of plates and movable in said straight slot; cam-connections between said plates; a locking deviceassociated with said plates; and a chair-structiire rigidly mounted upon the upper plate.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11, in which the post is vertically movable with relation to the first-mentioned plate and one of the other plates, and equipped with a clamping-lever which co-acts with said locking device.

13. In combination: a base equipped with a longitudinal guide and a mounting-plate carried thereby; upper and lower clamping plates embracing said mounting-plate, the lower plate being movable in said guide; a post connecting said clamping-plates and movable in a slot with which said mountingplate is provided, said post being movable through the upper clamping-plate; a clamping-lever connected with the upper end of said post; cam-connections between said 15. In combinationz'a base; a chair-structure shiftably and pivotally mounted on said base; means connecting said chair-structure and said base serving to cause shifting of the chair-structure with relation to the base when the chair-structure is swung on the base; and releasable lever actuated clamping means normally clamping said chairstructureagainst said base.

CHARLES R. HULTGREN. 

